The sun shone brilliantly over Mand Island in the Pacific that day, the bright rays illuminating the sea surface. Fluffy white clouds drifted across the azure sky, punctuated by the occasional cry of a seagull, lending a vibrant energy to the beautiful scenery.

A small airship descended onto the island's landing pad. As the hatch opened, Yang Ying stepped out.

On the pad awaited a welcoming party of the highest caliber from the Nianeng Temple. Led by the Grand Elder Master Kong Li, more than ten Master-level experts stood before the hatch, flanked by dozens of Nianeng practitioners, all dressed identically, standing in strict formation, observing the protocol with solemn attention.

Yang Ying stepped down from the airship and approached Master Kong Li. This was his first time meeting the legendary Grand Elder of the Nianeng Temple. Upon first glance, Yang Ying sensed an exceptionally gentle aura about Master Kong Li. Despite being the foremost expert of the Nianeng Temple, he possessed not a shred of arrogance. His eyes were like the sun in the sky—bright and warm—and like the vast Pacific Ocean itself, seemingly capable of embracing the entire world.

Standing half a meter behind him, Master Tu Xin presented a stark contrast. His face was sharply chiseled, his expression severe, and his gaze incredibly piercing, like two sharpened blades. He was the embodiment of the Li Bai verse: "He kills one man in ten steps, leaves no trace for a thousand miles."

As a guest, Yang Ying offered the initial greeting: "Greetings, Master Kong Li. Yang Ying has long admired you."

Master Kong Li returned the gesture: "No need for formalities, Master Yang Ying. I first heard your name two years ago, shortly after your awakening. Pang Qian reported your status, requesting special permission from the Elder Council for you to undertake the Nianeng Temple's foundational training courses. I never expected that, in such a short time, you would become a Hengfeng Master."

As Yang Ying and Master Kong Li regarded each other, neither felt entirely tranquil. Both sensed a parity in their Nian energy levels. In Yang Ying's view, achieving his Nian energy strength of 2.98 million, the limit of his soul's endurance, was thanks to the aid of the Divine Race and the Insectoids. Yet, Master Kong Li, through self-cultivation alone, possessed a strength that was no less!

Yang Ying thought to himself, Truly worthy of being called the closest man to a god!

On the other side, Master Kong Li's shock was perhaps even greater than Yang Ying's. He knew well that just two years prior, Yang Ying was merely a freshly awakened novice who had received no practical training whatsoever. Even within the Nianeng Temple's school for novices under ten, one could find trainees stronger than Yang Ying was then. To achieve a level comparable to his own in such a brief span was almost unbelievable to witness firsthand.

However, Master Kong Li's cultivation ran deep. No distracting thoughts arose in his mind, and he displayed no curiosity about the secret to Yang Ying's rapid ascent. He naturally extended an arm toward an adjoining corridor. "Let us not stand here. We should proceed inside to talk."

"Very well, Master Kong Li, please lead the way."

Yang Ying smiled slightly and followed Master Kong Li into the building. He had arrived at the Nianeng Temple alone this time, piloting his private airship without any entourage. At this place, ostentation held little value; his own status as a peak Master was what truly commanded respect.

After leaving the landing pad, the welcoming party dispersed. Masters Kong Li and Tu Xin then guided Yang Ying on a tour of the island.

Mand Island spanned roughly three to four square kilometers, generally oval in shape, with terrain sloping from east to west. There was a small mountain on the eastern side and a forest to the west. The mountain's western slope was gentle, while the eastern side fell away steeply. Facing the direction where the sun rose, the island culminated in the highest cliffs, upon which stood the most magnificent temple structure—the seat of the Nianeng Temple Elder Council.

The most distinctive feature of Mand Island was its multitude of temple structures, numbering over a hundred in total, most built within the western forest. Awakened individuals came here for training. As Yang Ying walked through the woods, he could hear the characteristic zzzt of light swords humming from among the trees.

Following the small forest paths, Yang Ying visited several temples, observing practitioners of all levels—not just novices and apprentices, but even formal Nianeng practitioners. Although they wielded low-power light swords used for sparring, which would only feel hot upon contact, akin to touching a 40-watt incandescent bulb, the practice was still painful, compelling the sparring parties to diligently evade their opponents' blades.

Throughout the tour, Master Kong Li maintained a pleasant smile, responding earnestly whenever someone approached to greet him. This was especially true when they reached the novice school. A group of children under ten immediately surrounded Master Kong Li upon seeing him, chattering excitedly to show off their recent progress.

Yang Ying instinctively compared these children to his own little Bai Bai and nodded with satisfaction. Bai Bai was far superior to them; even the fastest advancing among these children showed a chasm of difference when compared to Bai Bai.

Yang Ying knew that several decades ago, the novice school was not located on Mand Island. However, following the devastating surprise attack by Heras, the Nianeng Temple undertook a period of deep reflection and moved the novice school here as well.

These children, clearly not daring to approach Master Tu Xin, clustered around Master Kong Li. A few bolder ones occasionally glanced furtively toward Yang Ying, standing beside Master Tu Xin, appearing quite curious about him.

"Grandpa Kong, who is he teaching?" one small boy finally burst out, pointing toward Yang Ying's direction.

Master Kong Li chuckled and beckoned Yang Ying over. Seeing dozens of innocent, expectant eyes upon him, Yang Ying inwardly sighed, Trouble is coming, but he still managed a cheerful smile as he approached the children.

Master Kong Li briefly introduced Yang Ying's status. Upon learning that Yang Ying was also a legendary Xuanfeng Master, the children became instantly ecstatic.

"Grandpa Yang, will you—"

"Grandpa Yang, will you teach us in the future?"

"Grandpa Yang, are you over a hundred years old too? You look so young! How are you so much younger than Grandpa Kong and Grandpa Tu?"

The children bombarded Yang Ying with a flurry of innocent, rapid-fire questions.

"I knew this would happen," Yang Ying thought. The moniker "Grandpa" stung too deeply. Neither in his past life nor this one was he truly much older than his early twenties. In the minds of these children, anyone who could reach the peak Master level was undoubtedly an ancient elder of over a hundred years!

Fortunately, Yang Ying had honed his skills through rigorous training with Bai Bai and knew how to placate small children. He cleared his throat and began to interact with them. Generally, children felt a closer affinity for those whose ages were nearer to their own.

In just a few minutes, Yang Ying had bonded with them, coaxing them into calling him "Brother Yang Ying."

After spending a little longer there, the trio bid farewell to the children and left the novice school.

On the way, the three discussed pressing matters concerning the current political landscape. Master Tu Xin spoke rarely, but every utterance cut straight to the core issue. Yang Ying had encountered Master Tu Xin once during the Jupiter Campaign, but there had been no opportunity for interaction; thus, his understanding of Master Tu Xin came primarily from archived data.

According to those records, Master Tu Xin was fiercely dedicated to eradicating evil; every action he took was aimed at complete annihilation of his targets. The number of lives taken by his hand was the highest in the Nianeng Temple. On several occasions, he had even acted against ordinary people, violating the Nianeng Temple's directive to concern itself only with the awakened.

Many factions expressed disapproval over Master Tu Xin's actions. Yet, he remained unconcerned with their criticisms. Moreover, because every person he killed deserved their fate, and because his executions were swift and brutal—leaving no survivors and no evidence—the major powers could never pin down actionable grievances. They could only engage in endless quibbles with the Nianeng Temple Elder Council and apply covert pressure in various sectors, costing the Temple considerable profit as a demonstration of their opposition.

When Yang Ying first read these files, he felt Master Tu Xin's methods resembled those of the Trant Mercenary Corps, though with certain distinctions. The Nianeng Temple was deeply rooted within human society, entangled with various powers through centuries of accumulated grudges, forming a dense web of relationships that constrained their actions. Even with an anomaly like Master Tu Xin, his actions were limited to his personal capacity. The Trant Faction, however, had only developed over two years and had few established ties with the major human powers, allowing them to act with utter impunity, targeting whomever they chose.

Furthermore, Yang Ying, a peak Master not originating from the Nianeng Temple, was not bound by their rule of non-interference in secular affairs. Consequently, to the established powers, the Trant Faction posed a far greater threat than the Nianeng Temple itself.

Although the Trant Corporation was currently expanding everywhere, it was accumulating enemies across the board—in politics, the military, and commerce. The Council had already been crippled as a result; they desperately sought to eliminate the Trant lineage, serving as the vanguard in this effort. But the Council was not the only entity harboring hostility toward the Trant line.

The effectiveness of warning off one power often breeds another to take its place; history tended to repeat itself. However, Yang Ying was unconcerned. He had already directed his General Staff to formulate an unprecedentedly massive plan intended to resolve all issues in one sweep. Only after settling all Earthly affairs and securing a stable rear base could Yang Ying confidently step onto a broader stage. His visit to the Nianeng Temple today was also related to this very plan.

After touring the island, the three arrived at the grand temple atop the cliff. Passing through colonnades intricately decorated with exquisite carvings and viewing friezes depicting the history of the Nianeng Temple, they entered a conference room and took their seats according to protocol.

Master Kong Li’s expression turned solemn. "Master Yang Ying, an individual experiences birth, aging, sickness, and death. A society also experiences birth, aging, sickness, and death. Extending this to the entire universe, all sentient things are subject to the cycle. The solar system now stands at a crossroads. While the direction of the future remains undecided, it is deeply entwined with your fate. Today, let us discuss this unknown future."